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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
• "Is that email a scam?" - Check it online here!
  
• Frequently asked Questions (419 FAQ)
• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
  (+225 +229 +234 +27 +31 +32 +34 +44 other)
• Company names mentioned in 419 spam:
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Victims never receive this non-existent fortune but are tricked into sending their money to the criminals, who remain anonymous. They hide their real identity and location by using fake names and fake postal addresses as well as communicating via anonymous free email accounts and mobile phones.

Read more about such scams here or in our 419 FAQ. Use the Scam-O-Matic to verify suspect emails.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

• An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "claims agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "transfer of your funds" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
• This email message is a fake lottery scam. Consider the following facts about real lotteries:
  
  1. They don't notify winners by email.
  2. You can't win without first buying a lottery ticket.
  3. They don't randomly select email addresses to award prizes to.
  4. They don't use free email accounts (Yahoo, Hotmail, etc) to communicate with you.
  5. They don't tell you to call a mobile phone number.
  6. They don't tell you to keep your winnings secret.
  7. They will never ask a winner to pay any fees to receive a prize!
• This email lists free webmail addresses. Use of such addresses is typical for scams. Lotteries, banks and any but the smallest of companies do not normally use such addresses. Criminals use them to anonymously send and receive email at Internet cafes.
  • agentmichealcokeruk@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "UK NATIONAL LOTTERY" <jenni@reedtribe.org>
Reply-To: agentmichealcoker@yahoo.co.uk
Date: Fri, 26 Jan 2007 11:27:33 -0800
Subject: WINNING NOTIFICATION MAIL.

The National Lottery
P O Box 1010
Liverpool, L70 1NL
UNITED KINGDOM
(CustomerServices) Date:25-1-2007.
Ref: UK/9420X2/68
Batch: 074/05/ZY369


WINNING NOTIFICATION:

We happily announce to you the draw (#978) of the UK NATIONAL
LOTTERY,online Sweepstakes International program held on 1st January ,2007.

Your e-mail address attached to ticket number:56475600545 188 with
Serial number 5368/02 drew the lucky numbers: 12-18-22-24-32-33(bonus
no.), which subsequently won you the lottery in the 2nd category i.ematch

5 plus bonus.

You have therefore been approved to claim a total sum of £250,000 (two

hundred and fifty thousand pound sterling)
in cash credited to file KTU/9023118308/03.

This is from a total cash prize of £1,000,000 shared amongst the first
four (10) lucky winners in this category i.e Match 5 plus bonus.

Contact our Claims Agent for the immediate Transfer of your funds to
you:

Name: Mr Micheal Coker
Email: agentmichealcokeruk@yahoo.co.uk

Yours faithfully,
Brian Hunt,
Online coordinator for UK NATIONAL
LOTTERY,

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam